We’ve finally started getting some goodies from the garden! These are two different types of peppers, and our first cucumber of the season. Kathryn gets a big kick out of checking each morning to see if there is anything she can pick.

I have our two blueberry bushes planted right in the midst of roses and lambs ear and such in the front flower bed. One bush is very prolific, but the other is still wimpy. It’s doing it’s job, though, because two different varieties are required for cross-pollination. Also note the mint in a pot next to Lindsey: this is because I learned my lesson the hard way about planting it in the ground — DON’T DO IT because you can never get rid of it! I’m still pulling it up from obscure places in the flower bed three years after I thought I’d dug it all up!

Our tomato plants are trying to take over the world. Or at least our yard. Kathryn is not that little, but they all tower over her. One of them is taller than I am! The day after I took this photo, one our plants fell over, bending the metal tomato cage as it fell. It’s just too huge! So far we’ve only gotten a few cherry tomatoes, but these others should be giving us more soon. We have several varieties of heirlooms tomatoes planted. It’s always neat to try new kinds.

I never liked bell peppers until this year, and now I can’t seem get enough of them. So this year I planted them for the first time, and I’m very eager for them to be ready to eat! They are beyond delightful eaten raw and dipped in edamame hummus!

Usually, my day-lilies begin blooming on my birthday in early June, but they were about a week late. Now they are exploding like crazy! Ken said it would be fun to set up a time lapse and watch them bloom and fade because it would look like fireworks since each flower is literally only open one day but many more open the next day. Wouldn’t that be amazing!?! If he ends up doing it, I’ll share. 🙂

I have SO many coneflowers, all in shades of purple. They vary greatly in height, and have volunteered themselves all over my flower bed. Some are prettier than these, but I enjoy these weirdly cool “double-headed” cone flowers!

I think I have some volunteer sunflowers under our bird feeder, but they’ll have to get a bit taller before I can confirm that. Unfortunately, that means the grass has to get taller, too. What I’d really like is to make that into a little bed with no grass and just lots of sunflowers!

Join in the garden party fun at An Oregon Cottage!

Jamie

Wife, mom, J-ma. Introvert who enjoys good books, sunshine, and authentic conversation. Often seen with a steaming mug of tea in hand – unless it’s lost yet again in the microwave. Read more »